


It Was Enchanting To Meet You

by supposedly_archer



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Bruce Banner deserves love, F/M, First Meetings, Fluff, Meet-Cute, One Shot, Reader-Insert, fancy parties
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-15
Updated: 2020-08-15
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:41:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25907491
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/supposedly_archer/pseuds/supposedly_archer
Summary: The two Avengers are almost to the bottom of the staircase when you make eye contact with Bruce Banner. It lasted for what was maybe five seconds, but it felt like forever. His eyes were a beautiful brown. He was gorgeous. All of the other thoughts in your head left when you looked at him.Based on the song Enchanted by Taylor Swift
Relationships: Bruce Banner/Reader
Comments: 7
Kudos: 49





	It Was Enchanting To Meet You

**Author's Note:**

> There's totally not a Hamilton reference in here somewhere hahaha

The venue for the Stark gala was gorgeous. High arching ceilings, elegant staircases, even the floors were beautiful. So why did you want to go home so badly? 

You had positioned yourself near a wall, hoping to avoid as much interaction with other people as possible. If you were to clutch your wine glass any tighter, you were sure it would shatter in your hands. You took another small swallow of it. 

You thought back to a month ago, where you sat on your friend, Chelsea’s, couch as an old movie played in the background. You were talking about work drama when she suddenly gasped loudly and dramatically. “Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God!” She squealed. “How could I forget?”

You smile at her with your eyebrows raised. “What is it?”

She took a few deep breaths while smiling like a Cheshire cat. “Okay, so. My sister’s ex-boyfriend has a cousin whose wife works at a fancy building that’s like a venue, right? And, that’s where Tony Stark is hosting his annual gala, right?”

You nod, still smiling. “Right.” You didn’t pay much attention to the Avengers. Unless they were, of course, fighting aliens somewhere in the world. But, the Stark Gala was infamous. Everyone knew about it. 

Chelsea continued. “To save a whole hour of storytelling, my sister’s ex-boyfriend’s cousin’s wife got us tickets to the gala.”

“No. Fucking. Way.” Your mouth hung open with your eyes wide as saucers. 

“Yes. Fucking. Way.” She giggled at your reaction. 

“Now, I know how much you hate parties, but I’ll be with you the whole time, and if you get too overwhelmed, I’ll help you find a secluded spot, got it?”

“Yeah! Holy shit, I- this is crazy!” You grab her by the shoulders and shake her, giggling hysterically. 

She grabs your shoulders in response. “I know right; we’re gonna get to wear fancy dresses and pretend we’re rich people and part of the one percent!”

***

One month later, you both had bought fancy dresses that were way out of your budget and were probably never going to wear again.

The “going together and pretending you were rich” plan had fallen through the floors the day of the gala. 

It had started in the morning when Chelsea called you. Picking up, she told you that she was having awful stomach pain.

“Could it be period cramps?” you had asked her.

“No, my period isn't supposed to start for another two weeks. It hurts, worse than my regular cramps.”

“Maybe you’re pregnant and don’t know it,” you joked, trying to make her feel better.

“Har, har, har Y/N. Very funny.” You could hear her eye roll from the phone, she sighed and then groaned in pain. You winced. “I think I may have appendicitis.”

“That means we should get you to the ER; I’ll pick you up and drive you, alright?”

“Alright. But no matter what happens, you go to the gala. You absolutely cannot miss this, even if I’m lying dead in the hospital.”

You sighed. You weren’t going to argue with her about this, especially since you needed to get Chelsea to a hospital. “Alright. Fine.”

It turns out she did have appendicitis. Before they wheeled her off, she commanded you to go to the gala. “I know you can do it, Y/N. I’m not going to let my shitty luck keep you from finding true love.” 

“But, what if something-”

“Go! Go get ready and have the time of your life. My sister will be here, and she’ll keep you updated. I love you.”

You sighed. Chelsea was so stubborn sometimes. “I love you, too.”

When you arrived at the venue, her sister called you telling you that she was okay. You thanked her and tucked your phone into the pocket of your dress. It blended into the dress, so you could easily carry it inconspicuously. 

While you were busy recalling the events that had led to you hiding in a costly dress at a party you probably shouldn’t even be allowed to be at, you hadn’t realized you’d run out of wine. The glass had been offered to you by a waiter, and it was full when you grabbed it. 

You were now freaking out about if you should put the old glass down, ask for a refill, or just hide in the bushes and cry. Your prayers were answered by a waiter who was walking past with a bottle of wine. “More wine, miss?” he asked you politely.

“Yes, please.” When he walked away, you heaved a deep sigh. At least that problem was solved. Though, you still felt way out of place. Watching everyone mingle and talk with their fancy outfits was unnerving. You barely knew how to start a conversation, and you doubted you would be able to with these types of people. 

_Are those people waltzing?_ You thought to yourself. They were! There seemed to be a small group of couples dancing around the room. _I thought that only happened in movies!_ It was a sight to see. They all looked so elegant. You sighed, _Chelsea would’ve loved this._

You turn your head to look at the stairs. You blinked. And blinked again. _Holy shit. That’s Tony fucking Stark._ You didn’t know why you were so shocked. Of course, he would be here. It was his goddamn gala. 

Though you weren’t an Avengers fangirl, it was still exhilarating to see one of _Earth’s Mightiest Heroes._ As you watched him walk down the stairs, you realized he was talking to another man. He looked to be around the same age as Tony Stark, and he looked familiar. 

You mentally slapped yourself. _It’s Bruce Banner, you moron!_ If someone had asked you who your favorite Avenger was, you probably would’ve said Doctor Banner. You didn’t know much about him, other than that he was the Hulk. But, he was cute, with the curly salt and pepper hair and glasses.

The two Avengers are almost to the bottom of the staircase when you make eye contact with Bruce Banner. It lasted for what was maybe five seconds, but it felt like forever. His eyes were a beautiful brown. He was gorgeous. All of the other thoughts in your head left when you looked at him. 

When you both break eye contact, your face is heated. You gulp down more wine. Your thoughts were racing. You wanted to talk to him. You _needed_ to talk to him. There was something about him that just immediately drew you to him. And you didn’t even know him! You could hear your friend in your head; _it’s love at first sight! Talk to him!_

You took a deep breath. It couldn’t be that hard to start a conversation. Right? Your hands were sweaty. _Why were they so sweaty?_ _You shouldn’t be this nervous to start a conversation._ You take some more deep breaths. You knew if you didn’t talk to him tonight, you might regret this night for the rest of your days. 

You look through the crowd and spot him again easily. He’s still with Tony Stark, though the both of them were closer to where you stood now. You watch them both for a moment. They seem just to be idly chatting; they now had wine glasses in their hand. You then see Tony clap Bruce on the shoulder and leave him, supposedly to talk to someone else. _This was your chance._

You start to walk through the crowd. Bruce is still standing there, alone. He looks almost as uncomfortable as you feel. He’s staring at his shoes, and you get closer. You can easily see all of him now. You slow down a bit; you didn’t want to seem like a stalker or weirdo. 

You’re right beside him now. You’re facing his side, and you turn to look at whatever he’s looking at now. “It’s a nice night tonight,” are the first words out of your mouth. You feel like you’re about to go into cardiac arrest. 

Bruce turns to face you. He seems to be caught off guard by your statement. “Hm? Oh, yeah, it’s, um, it’s nice.” His voice is quiet, and he’s back to staring at his shoes.

 _What the fuck do I say now? Do I introduce myself? What do I do?_ “You’re Bruce Banner, right?” You scream in your head. _Why did I say that?_

“Uh, yep, that’s me.” He gives a nervous chuckle. “And you are?” he trails off, waiting for your answer.

“Y/N,” you say, quickly, turning to smile at him. 

“Y/N, that’s a nice name.” Bruce returns your smile. 

You feel your face heat up. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

You laugh softly, still smiling gently at him. He laughs nervously as well. “Do you attend these types of parties often?” you ask him.

Bruce sighs. “Yeah, Steve says it’s good publicity for us, and Tony can never turn away a chance to host a party, so I just kind of go with it.” He takes a sip of his wine. “If I’m honest, I’m not a huge fan of these types of gatherings.”

You smile at his exasperated face. “That makes two of us then. My friend got us both tickets, but she wasn’t able to make it, so I’m here. Alone.”

He gives you a sympathetic look. “I’m sorry.”

You shrug. “It’s fine. I think Chelsea would’ve wrung my neck if I hadn’t gone. She’s very dramatic that way.”

Bruce smiles again. _He has a beautiful smile._ “I think I know what it’s like to have a dramatic friend.”

You both laugh, “you know I saw a fountain inside a small garden when I got here, and I’ve wanted to check it out. Do you wanna come with?”

“Yeah, I would. I think I know where it is.”

“Really? Have you been here before?” You raise your eyebrows at him. 

“Yeah. All of the Avengers were here last night. Steve got Thor to try and teach us all how to waltz.” He sighs and chuckles. “It did not go well.”

“So, I’m assuming you’re not a dancer?” You grin mischievously at him.

He grins back. Not a shy, slight smile. An actual grin. You could feel your heartbeat faster if that was even possible. “No. No, I’m not.”

“Well, I’ll have to keep that in mind.” You pause and look at Bruce. “Which way is the fountain?”

“Oh, uh, it’s this way.” He points to a door close to the stairs. 

As you and Bruce make your way through the crowd, you fall into a comfortable silence, walking so close that your shoulders are almost brushing together.

When you get to the doors, he opens it for you. You feel your face heat up for what feels like the millionth time that night. “Thank you, Bruce.” 

“You’re welcome.” You look around the garden and see a plethora of different flowers planted around a large stone fountain, along with shrubs surrounding the whole area.

“This is beautiful. So much better than the pictures.” You start walking to the fountain and sit on the edge. Bruce sits opposite of you.

“Yeah, the pictures don’t do this place justice.” He looks around before settling on your face. “What do you do for work?” He asks.

“I’m an x-ray technician at an ER.” He nods appreciatively. “It’s nothing too exciting unless you count trying to get a drunk man to lay still for more than two seconds as exciting.”

Bruce laughs at that. “I’d like that to be my definition of exciting.”

You grin at him. “Yeah, well, I think being an x-ray tech is a little below your paygrade. Though we almost always have a spot open for hiring, so if you ever decide being an Avenger gets boring, you’ll have a backup plan.”

He laughs again. _His laugh sounds like music._ “I may have to take you up on that sometime.” Bruce looks down at the water in the fountain. “What got you into that field?”

You let out a sigh. “That’s a long, long story.”

“Well, I have all night if you do.”

So, you launched into the story of how you got a job at an ER. Which then turned into a conversation about the way x-rays work and the science of radiology. Which then snowballed into a discussion about anything and everything. 

Time didn’t seem like a concept as you talked with Bruce. It was like talking to someone you’d known your whole life. The conversation flowed so smoothly you never understood why you were so nervous about speaking to him in the first place. 

Eventually, a notification from your phone pulls you out of your conversation. It’s from your friend, asking how your night is going and if you’ve found prince charming. 

“It’s my friend.” Bruce nods, understanding. You quickly type out a “tell you later.” And put your phone back in your pocket. “Sorry. Where were we?” 

He was about to respond when he was suddenly cut off by a booming voice. “Banner!” 

Suddenly a tall, muscular man is standing in front of both of you. _Oh my God, it’s Thor._ “The team’s been looking for you everywhere! We thought that you had just gone home.”

He turns to you as if he’s just noticed you. “I wasn’t aware you were talking to a lady. I apologize for my rudeness and for not greeting you right away.” He holds his hand out to you. “Thor Odinson.”

“Y/N.” You put your hand out to shake it, but he shocks you by bringing it up to his lips and kissing it softly. 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lady Y/N, I will allow you two to get back to your conversation.” And with that, Thor’s gone as quickly as he came. 

“I’m sorry about him.” Bruce smiles sheepishly at you. 

You laugh at the look on his face. “It’s fine; he seemed very nice.” Bruce nods in agreement.

“Do you know what time it is? I forgot to put my watch on before I left.”

“Uhm, yeah, hold on,” you reply, pulling out your phone. “Oh, wow, it’s almost midnight.”

Bruce raises his eyebrows. “Really? We must’ve been talking for a while, then.”

You nod in agreement. “Yeah, I guess we have.” You sit in silence for a moment. Bruce clears his throat.

“If they’re looking for me, that probably means I should, um, get going.”

“Right, right. I should probably get going as well.” There’s a pause. You stand up at the same time. “Do you want my number?” You say, probably too fast.

“What? Um, yeah, yes, I would, uh, I would love your number.” There’s another pause. “Do you have anything to write down with, I don’t have my phone on me,” he starts patting his pockets as you grip your phone tightly. “I have a pen; you can just write it on my hand if you’re good with that.”

“Yeah, yep! That’s perfect!” He hands you a ballpoint pen, and you grab it quickly and take off the cap. “Do you prefer what hand or arm-”

“Um, not really.” He holds out his left hand, partially pulling up the arm of his suit jacket and shirt, revealing part of his wrist. Grabbing his hand, you quickly write down your number, praying he doesn’t notice how sweaty or shaky your hands are. 

You pull away, putting the cap back on the pen and handing it back to him. “There you go.”

“Thank you, Y/N.” He smiles at you softly, and you feel like you’re going to melt into the floor. 

“You’re welcome.” You smile back at him. “I know you’re probably busy constantly saving the world,” he chuckles at that, “but maybe we could find some time to get coffee together?”

Bruce grins at you. “I would love to.”

You grin back. “It’s a date, then.” You lean close to him and kiss his cheek. “I hope to see you soon.” As you pull back, you see his face is bright red. 

“I hope to see you soon, as well.” He’s almost stumbling over his words. 

“Bye, Bruce.”

“Bye, Y/N.”

With that, you leave through the same doors you came through, and through the corner of your eye, you see Thor again, this time rushing at Bruce. You shake your head as you make your way out to catch a ride home. 

***

Finally, inside your apartment, you let out a squeal of delight. You laugh and grin to yourself as you get ready for bed. You shoot a quick text to Chelsea, saying, “I THINK I MET PRINCE CHARMING” and lay down in your bed. You laugh again into your pillow, replaying the night you spent with Bruce over and over again till you fell asleep. 

In the morning, you wake up to two text messages. One from Chelsea, saying, “Y/N YOU CANT JUST TEXT ME THAT AND NOT FUCKING ELABORATE. WTF.” And one from an unknown number. “How do you feel about coffee next Saturday at 11:00 am?” 

**Author's Note:**

> find me on tumblr: @banner-swift


End file.
